Sam Gamgee wrote:“I see man’s mind cannot be satisfied
unless it be illumined by that Truth
beyond which there exists no other truth.
Within that Truth, once man’s mind reaches it,
It rests like a wild beast within its den.
And it can reach it—if not all desire
is vain!
We wander like a wild beast looking for that Truth. When we find it, we are still the wild beast, but we can have rest. Profound thought from Dante.
Some more thoughts from a famous Author, but a lesser known part of his Canon:
1 ¶ Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 "Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 ¶ "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 "Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors;
11 When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’
12 ¶ "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?
- Job 38
25 ¶ "Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate waste, And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone, And the surface of the deep is frozen.
31 "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?
- Job 38
Do you recognize this horse from Job 39?
19 ¶ "Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him, The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, The thunder of captains and shouting.
Puzzle over Job 40 and Job 41 and the creatures described there. These four chapters plumb the beauty and purpose behind creation from a point of view that transcends ours. I never get tired of reading them.
